(PREVENTDISEASE.COM) – More evidence from a new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that CT scans increase the risk of brain tumors.
The use of computed tomography (CT) scans has increased dramatically over the last two decades and Radiation-induced cancers have tripled in that time. Diagnostic imaging has been already been admitted as a cause by the U.S. government.
CT scans deliver higher radiation doses than other tests. Therefore, radiation protection is a concern, especially among children, who may receive higher radiation doses, are more susceptible to radiation-related malignancies than adults and have more time to show effects from the potential risk.
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The increased use of CT in pediatrics, combined with the wide variability in radiation doses, has resulted in many children receiving a high-dose examinations. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned radiologists in the past that the scan expose children to doses of radiation far greater than is safe for their age and weight – by some estimates, up to six times more than what is needed to produce clear images.
